Sheridan student brings hometown to campus with interactive installation

When Zhilin Guo first arrived at Sheridan College in September 2022, there were a few things she missed most about hometown of Shenyang, China: her mother’s broccoli dish, the neighbourhood Lantern Festival, and, of course, her loyal border collie, Mimo. 

 

But rather than keeping these feelings of homesickness to herself, Guo decided to channel her passion for public art and exhibition design into something meaningful for the entire Sheridan community. 

 

In January 2025, Guo helped launch Making Connections: From Home to Sheridan, an interactive art installation at Sheridan’s Trafalgar Library that encourages students, staff, and faculty to share personal memories and anecdotes about their hometowns. The project, designed to create a sense of belonging among international students, features colourful sticky notes and stylized yarn, with a bright yellow and blue heart symbolizing the Sheridan logo. 

 

"I was inspired to combine physical and digital art to support the international community," says Guo, a Bachelor of Interaction Design student in her final semester. "Sheridan has such a strong and welcoming culture, and I wanted to reflect that through this installation." 

 

The project draws inspiration from Stories of Home, a SRCA Growth Grant-funded initiative that featured personal stories shared by students, faculty, and staff from Sheridan’s English Language Studies (ESL) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) programs. 

 

To guide her creative process, Guo adhered to three fundamental principles that she’d learned from her four-year program at Sheridan: flexibility, useability, and equity-centered design. 

 

“In the Interaction Design program, we are taught to think about equity in our work and how to make our designs ‘people-focused’ and inclusive,” explains Guo. “Having this experience really helped make the project come together.” 

 

Guo worked closely with Patricia Buckley, Sheridan’s Diversity, Sustainability and Materials Librarian, to bring the installation to life. 

 

"The library is a space where students naturally connect with each other," Buckley explains. "When Zhilin came up with this idea to make it an interactive exhibit, I knew it would be a great fit for the space and the community." 

 

The installation invites participants to pick up a sticky note at the library desk and write about what makes them feel at home, what they miss about their hometown, or a favourite dish or holiday. Students are encouraged to contribute as often as they like, creating a dynamic and evolving display. 

 

"The beauty of the project is how it allows everyone to contribute and connect, no matter where they're from," Buckley adds.

For Guo, the installation reflects her own experience at Sheridan. Whether through her newfound love of ice hockey or a close-knit group of friends, Guo has made Sheridan feel like home. 

 

“I just feel so welcome [at Sheridan]” says Guo. “Everyone is so easy to talk to, and there is always a community of people here who share the same hobbies as you, whether it is sports or video games.” 

 

Looking ahead, Guo hopes to pursue a career in museum exhibition design, UX/UI, or even electric vehicle design. But for now, Making Connections serves as a reminder to her and her peers that no matter where we come from, we can always find pieces of home in the people and places around us.